Along the Way, Part 3 of RhiannonDarren Trilogy
by WeMeow2
Summary: Rhi, Darren, Harry, and Van experience ups and downs of family life until a milestone event brings a major change. Sequel to Rhiannon Trilogy - Nothing Ever Happens, Something Is Happening, Anything Can Happen - and Finding Our Way and Along the Way. Recommend reading those first so this one makes sense. Rated T for occasional sexual references and limited profanity.
1. Red Sneakers

Chapter 1: Red Sneakers

"Harry! Come on! The bus is going to be here in a few minutes!" I yelled up the stairs.

"Almost ready, Mommy!" my oldest son shouted back from his room. "Can't find my red sneakers!"

Any other parent might have pointed out that his perfectly serviceable white sneakers were sitting in the shoe rack next to the back door, but understanding Harry's need to have things just right, I ran up to help him find the shoes that he had been planning for weeks to wear on his first day of kindergarten.

On the way to join the search I heard my husband speaking softly to our younger son Van in one of the rooms on the second floor. I found them in the large music studio we had installed when we first moved into our house just over two years prior so Darren could start his own label thanks to our dear friend, Mrs. Donovan. My talented husband was slowly but surely building CallaCriss Studios' reputation and stable of artists, and I couldn't have been more proud.

Now, though, he and Van were playing a game that they had started about six months ago when our son was a year and a half old. Darren would push a piano key and Van would push the same one, then Darren would add another and Van would repeat the pattern. Van could now remember about a half dozen notes, and when he lost track, he would press as many as he could, making a horrendous "chord" that made both of my musical guys laugh hysterically.

I poked my head in the door, smiling but desperate. "Dare? Can you come help Harry find his red shoes? If he doesn't get moving, he's going to miss the bus. And you know how excited he's been about..."

Darren lifted Van off his lap and said with a matching grin, "He definitely inherited your low thrill threshold, honey. Come on, Van Man. Let's go help Harry."

Van ran out the door and nearly collided with his brother who had just appeared carrying his red shoes in his hand with a broad smile. "Found 'em, Mommy!"

"Great, honey! Let's make sure you've got everything."

Harry, always ready for a last-minute double-check, started listing what he needed as he hurried down the stairs, "My lunch box, my backpack, my..."

Darren scooped up Van and grabbed my hand, lifting it to his lips as we followed more slowly. "He certainly comes by his personality traits honestly, Rhi."

"Looks like you, acts like me, Dare. There's no denying that he's ours," I agreed with a chuckle.

When we got to the front door, Harry was standing proudly with his hand on the knob, backpack settled on his shoulders, lunch box in his hand, wearing his new jean jacket over his color-coordinated outfit, sporting the crucial red sneakers - tied and on the correct feet - and a huge grin on his face. "I'm ready, Mommy."

"Almost, sweetie. You forgot one thing."

Harry's brow immediately furrowed in thought as he looked down at himself trying to figure out what he had left behind. A smile slowly spread on his face and dropping his lunch box, he started toward us with his arms open. "Hugs! I forgot see-you-soon hugs!"

We all laughed, and I gathered this miniature version of Darren in my arms, squeezing him tightly. We both said, "See you soon!" then pulled back and smiled into each others' eyes, exclaiming, "Jinx!" with a laugh. Darren and I swapped boys so my husband could bid farewell to his mini-me, and then we held Van and Harry close enough so they could hug as well.

As usual, Van clumsily but fervently wrapped his chubby arms around his brother, but Harry just gave him a quick squeeze. Darren kept reassuring me that our older son's...unenthusiastic response to Van was because of the difference in their ages, but it worried me. I wanted them to have the warm sibling relationship that Darren had with his brother Chuck, not the wary detente that I had with my brother Kevin.

We were encouraging the boys to interact, but trying not to push, hoping that as Van got older, he and Harry would be more inclined to play together. Harry was never mean to Van, he just wasn't...interested in his brother.

Right now, he was exceptionally interested in the arrival of the school bus, which conveniently stopped in front of our house since we lived on a corner lot in the middle of our neighborhood. Harry picked up his lunch box after Darren set him down, and was basically vibrating until I nodded at him with a smile. He burst out the door and we followed at a more sedate pace, greeting the other families who were also waiting at the end of our driveway.

Harry started jumping up and down, shouting, "It's coming! It's coming!" as the bus turned onto our street. The older kids tried to act nonchalant, but it was easy to tell by their spotless outfits, shiny new shoes, and bags stuffed with supplies and lunches that everyone was excited to get to school.

They all lined up to board the bus, and Harry looked back to smile and wave. He mouthed, "Love you!" Darren and I waved back, mouthing, "Love you more!" Van started to wave as well, but Harry had already turned to take that first big step into this new phase of his life.

Putting his arm around me to give me a squeeze, Darren asked, "Can you believe it, Mommy? Our Little Guy is going to..." trailing off when he started to smile at me, and he realized I was unsuccessfully trying to hold back tears.

Knowing exactly what I was worried about, Darren tried to comfort me. "He'll be fine, honey. He knows what to expect, and his teacher knows that he's a...planner. Smile and wave, Rhi. He's going to think he's done something to upset you."

I nodded my head determinedly and wiped my cheeks as subtly as I could. We all turned back to the bus, finding Harry in one of the windows toward the front. He was looking at us with a confused expression, but smiled when we all started waving again. He waved back as the bus pulled away, and...our oldest son was now in school.

Darren pulled Van and me into a hug, whispering comforting words into my ear until I got myself under control. When I pulled back, both he and Van were smiling broadly at me and gave me pecks on the cheek.

As we walked back toward the house hand-in-hand, Darren said with a wry grin, "Just think...it will only be three years until we have to do this again."


	2. Making Friends

Chapter 2: Making Friends

"Van! Come on! The bus is going to be here soon and you haven't eaten yet!" I yelled up the stairs.

This all seemed strangely familiar, except our younger son's response was very different from his brother's when he had started kindergarten three years earlier.

I looked to the top of the stairs where I could see Van standing with his shoulders slumped and trying not to cry. "Do I have to go, Mommy? Can I stay here with you? Please, don't make me..." Our distraught boy collapsed in a heap and started to sob.

Darren came out of the kitchen with Harry close behind. I directed my husband's attention to Van, and we looked at each other. Darren grabbed my hand for mutual support and we started up the stairs. I could swear that a smirk passed over our third grader's face before he returned to the kitchen to finish his breakfast, but I had more urgent issues to deal with at that moment.

We sat on either side of Van and rubbed his back until he was only taking in shivering breaths. "Sweetie..." I started, but couldn't continue when he looked up at me with my own hazel eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Darren, realizing that I was momentarily overwhelmed, started gently, "Van, honey, we've talked about this. You visited your class, you met your teacher, you know that you'll be home this afternoon. Can you tell us what's got you so upset?"

Van leaned into his father, shakily whispering, "No one'll like me. Won't have any friends."

Our eyes locked above our son's head. This had never come up before. We had thought Van's fear of school was about being away from us all day instead of the half-day of preschool he was used to, not about being with different kids. I gave Darren a questioning look, and he nodded encouragingly. This was my area of expertise.

"Van, sweetie, can you look at me?" He slowly raised his head until our eyes met again.

"Do you remember when we talked about how you will make new friends at school?" He nodded.

"Mrs. Foster will have games and activities to give everyone a chance to get to know each other. You might not make friends by the end of today, but you'll know everyone's name. Tomorrow and the days after that when you go back, you'll get to know them a bit more, and then soon, there will be a few kids that you hang out with at lunch and recess because you like to do the same things. And those will be your friends."

With a quivering lip, Van asked plaintively, "Promise, Mommy?"

"I swear, honey."

Van considered that for a minute, and then a small smile formed on his lips before he nodded again. "Okay," he said with a determined expression. "I'm ready." He stood, hugging his father and then me. Our eyes met over our son's shoulder and Darren smiled at me, mouthing, "I love you so much." With our boy in my arms, I mouthed back, "I love you more."

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Darren was at his office downtown, and Harry's bus got home about 30 minutes before Van's, so I decided to take advantage of us being alone to have a conversation with my older son about his attitude toward his brother. Harry was delightful in every other way, but his lack of interest in Van was escalating to outright disdain, and I wasn't sure why.

Harry came into the kitchen for our usual post-school debriefing. We both enjoyed reviewing what he had done during the day, and he knew that I understood his need to discuss his plans for the days to come.

"Hey, Mom," he said as he gave me a kiss and sat on a stool next to me, grabbing a home-made cookie and the glass of chocolate milk I had prepared.

"Hi, honey. How was the first day of third grade?"

"Good. Mrs. Cash has us arranged alphabetically - I love that - so I'm sitting in front of Zachary again..."

Before I could give him the usual speech about getting into mischief with his best friend, he interrupted me, "You don't have to tell me, Mom! Mrs. Cash heard somewhere," he paused to give me a knowing grin, "that we are buddies and warned us that this was our privilege to lose. Not much else happened, though...just first day getting organized stuff."

"Sounds good, Harry." I paused, unsure of how to broach the topic that I knew we needed to talk about.

"Honey, I need to discuss something...not-so-good with you."

An interested expression settled on his face before he echoed his father's usual reply, "Anything, Mom."

"Harry...I am...concerned by your reaction to Van being so upset this morning."

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"When Dad and I went up to comfort him, I could swear that I saw a smirk on your face. Almost like, you were...enjoying his distress. Please tell me that I imagined it, Harry."

He looked down at the counter uncomfortably, then back up at me. "You didn't, Mom."

"I appreciate your honesty, but can you tell me why you would take pleasure in Van's being upset? You are such a sweet boy to everyone else, so polite, and...nice...but, when it comes to your brother..."

"Mom...it's hard for me to explain...Van is so...TOUCHY! He cries about everything... it just BUGS me! And, sometimes, I can't help thinking it's...funny how little it takes to...upset him."

I didn't know how to respond. Harry had no sympathy for how hard it was for Van to adjust to new situations. How did this happen?

"Harry...you must realize that because Van is three years younger than you, he is encountering a lot more new experiences than you are, and he deserves our patience and understanding as he gets used to them."

Harry nodded slightly, then said, "But, Mom, I wasn't like that when I was his age. I loved trying new things...he's such a WHINER!"

"Harry, not only is Van younger than you, he's different than you. I was a lot like Van when I was little. I didn't react well to new situations and..."

"But, Mom, what about our 'low thrill threshold?'" Harry interrupted.

"I wasn't always as brave as I am now, Harry. Dad had a lot to do with that, and you know that I'm still not a big fan of surprises. I've learned to deal with them over the years, but Van is only five. He hasn't figured out the best ways to handle new things yet. And it certainly doesn't help that he doesn't have his WHOLE family behind him, honey."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Harry whispered. "I promise I'll be nicer to Van."

"That's all I'm asking for. Just remember that the more we support him, the stronger he'll feel, and hopefully, the less upset he'll get about this stuff." I leaned over to kiss my oldest on the cheek.

I looked at the clock and said, "Speaking of which, I've got to go out to meet Van."

Harry jumped up and said, "Let me, Mom!"

Trying to hide my surprise, I nodded, and said, "That would be great, honey," and watched my older son run toward the front door to hopefully start really connecting with his brother.


	3. Legacies of Love

Chapter 3: Legacies of Love

"Megan! Van! Harry! Darren! I'm home!" Good thing we had stopped at two kids or else the roll call would take longer than getting in the house did.

Darren and the boys should have been fixing dinner since I had had an all-day session of interviewing potential counselors and coaches for the upcoming summer of the camp for gifted kids we had established with Mrs. Donovan's bequest. Strangely, though, it was very quiet, and there was no activity in the kitchen, or anywhere else it seemed, until...

I followed the barely audible voices coming from the den downstairs, where I found my family crouched on the floor. What in the world? As I approached them I realized that they were circled around...MEGAN! OH MY GOD!

I knew immediately what was happening. Megan was 16 years old, a senior citizen cat, and had been slowing down in recent years. About six weeks before it had become obvious that she wouldn't be with us much longer. Our vet had assured us that she wasn't in any pain and, unless her condition changed, would most likely pass away peacefully in her sleep, so we decided we would keep her comfortable at home until that happened.

Darren looked up from where he was gently petting our fur-girl and stood to hug me. "Oh, Rhi. When we got back from the grocery store, she didn't come to greet us, and we found her like this. She's still...here, but she can't seem to move and her breathing is slowing down. I didn't call you because I knew you were on your way home and I didn't want to upset you while you were driving."

Harry and Van were looking at me with tear-stained cheeks as I kneeled to share my beloved friend's last few minutes of life. When I stroked her side as I had done thousands of times, she started to purr very quietly and opened her eyes to look at me.

"She was waiting for you, Mom," Van whispered, and Harry nodded, wrapping his arm around him to comfort his brother. Their relationship had improved so much over the years that they were now friends as well as siblings.

I gathered Megan and her blanket in my arms, and with our family surrounding us, she closed her eyes. Her purring gradually lessened to silence, and then her breathing slowed until it stopped completely.

After a minute, Darren tried to ease Megan's body from my grasp, but I just couldn't let her go - not yet.

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"I'm not asleep, Dare," I said quietly, opening my eyes as Darren started to shut our bedroom door after poking his head in to check on me a few hours later.

My husband came in and stroked my cheek, then asked with a sad smile, "How are you feeling, Rhi?" We both knew that he meant, "Lean on me, my dearest love," which of course, made tears start to well up in my eyes again.

I started, "Dare...I knew this was coming..."

"But it doesn't make it any easier, honey," he finished. "Sweetie, can the boys come in? They're so worried about you..."

"Of course they can, Dare...I wasn't thinking..." I apologized as I sat up and tried to straighten my hair and wipe my face. Darren put his hands up to stop me and said, "You look fine, Rhi, but even if you didn't, they understand that you're grieving. They don't expect you to look perfect." He kissed me gently, and then called, "Boys?"

Harry and Van must have been waiting right outside the door since they were holding my hands almost immediately. Van, my sensitive dreamer, started, "Mom, we're so sorry. We know how much you love Megan...and how much you'll miss her...we wish she didn't have to go..." he trailed off, fighting back his own tears.

My sweet and enthusiastic planner, Harry, picked up, "Just tell us what you want us to do, Mom. We'll find a place to bury Megan with respect and love. We can check with the vet, or look online, or..."

I smiled at Darren, grateful that we had produced two such generous souls. "Harry...Van...please sit with us..." I looked questioningly at Darren, who kissed my fingers, and said, "Only if you're ready, Rhiannon." I nodded, knowing that there wouldn't be a better moment to have this difficult discussion.

"Van...Harry...I love Megan very much, and I will miss her incredibly. And I know you will too. We have to remember that Megan lived a full life, and contributed so much to our family while she was here. But, it was her time, and she knew she needed to let go."

By this point, we were all in a circle on the bed, holding hands, the traditional means of comfort in the Criss family.

"You know that I adopted Megan before I met Dad, back when I was going to school in Wisconsin and living next door to Mrs. Donovan."

Both boys nodded through their tears as they had known about Mrs. D since they were little, but we hadn't fully explained her significance in our family's life...until now.

"Since you're nine and twelve, Dad and I feel that you are both old enough to understand what Mrs. Donovan means to our family, and I hope you will appreciate it even more, now that you can relate it to what Megan means to you."

Darren, sensing my emotional exhaustion, took over. "Mrs. Donovan was Mom's landlady first, but then they became friends, and finally they were members of each other's family. Mom didn't think she was as strong as she is..." my husband paused to kiss my fingers again, "...and Mrs. D helped her find the courage to look for true happiness."

"You mean like when she met you, Dad?" Van asked.

"Exactly, Van. Mrs. Donovan helped Mom realize that she is brave and smart and sweet and..."

"Stop, Dare," I insisted with a hint of a smile, then continued the story. "So, Dad and I discovered that we were meant for each other with Mrs. D's help, then we got married, and soon Harry joined us." Darren and I smiled at our older son.

"We were so happy, both with Harry and our jobs, but," I went on, "we knew we weren't where we ultimately wanted to be. Dad and I were trying to figure out how we could make the plans we had for our family and our careers possible," I paused and shared another smile with Harry.

"Then," Darren started again, "something shocking happened."

Harry broke in, "Mrs. D passed away, just like Megan."

Trying to hold back the tears that were so close to the surface, I nodded, and let Darren continue. "She did, Harry, but unlike with Megan, we weren't expecting it. Mrs. Donovan left something for us, though, and for a lot of other people. She left us a gift that allowed us to move toward our goals, which meant that Van joined the family..." We both smiled at our younger son before Darren went on, "...and I could start my own label to help other musicians achieve their dreams, and Mom could start the camp to help kids like you guys make their way in the world."

Van, looking thoughtful, inserted, "So, even though Megan - and Mrs. D - aren't here anymore, the things they left behind are... Is there a word for the...things?"

Harry smiled at his brother. "It's called a legacy, right? The gifts they gave us out of love, like the memories we have of them...and the money Mrs. D left for Mom and Dad...and your name, Van. Those are legacies...of love."

"You're absolutely right, Harry. Dad and I are so proud of both of you, and we love you so much. We know that all the people that you love will also give you legacies that will help you get to where you want to be in life."

"Can we still cry about missing Megan?" Van asked very quietly.

I pulled him into my arms for a fierce hug. "Of course you can, honey. You too, Harry," I said, grabbing my older son's hand as Darren hugged him tightly. "It takes time for that to go away, and sometimes it never does completely. As happy as I am when I remember Mrs. D, I still get sad that she's not around to see the result of what she did for us."

I moved one arm to encircle Harry, and Darren did the same with Van so we ended up in a group hug that lasted until we all had stopped crying. Our children never ceased to amaze me with the depth of their understanding and impressive insight.

But, when we all sat back and were holding hands again, they showed that they were perfectly normal kids as well.

Breaking the silence, Harry said, "I'm hungry."

Van asked, "Can we order pizza?"


	4. Mrs D's Place

Chapter 4: Mrs. D's Place

I collapsed onto the couch in my office, exhausted but exhilarated. I had just bid farewell to the last of the kids attending this week's session at the camp that we had held for soon-to-be fifth and sixth graders for the last ten summers.

Hearing Darren and the boys approaching the cabin, I smiled as they shushed each other in an attempt not to disturb me in case I had fallen asleep. "Guys!" I called with a tired smile, "Come on in!"

"Sorry, honey," Darren apologized with a sheepish grin, mirrored on Harry's and Van's faces. "Some people just can't be quiet!" He mock-glared at our kids, who were closer than I wanted to admit to being young men.

Harry and Van plopped down on either side of me, leaning their heads on my shoulders and holding my hands while Darren gazed fondly at us while leaning on my desk. Our oldest would be a high school freshman in the fall, so he was a junior counselor for the first time this summer. His younger brother was a camper for the second year in a row, since he was going into sixth grade. Despite my assurance that their participation was voluntary, both boys insisted that Mrs. D's Place was where they wanted to be for the six weeks we spent alternating between preparations and camp sessions.

Darren snuggled beside Van and we soaked up the quiet and each other's company, and I thought back to how the camp had begun.

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What started as a seed of an idea that Mrs. Donovan's bequest had allowed us to plant had grown into a six-week summer extravaganza that I spent the rest of the year getting ready for.

We had a team of coaches - including me, a gaggle of college and graduate students, and Jeff, our former neighbor in LA and now one of my closest friends - who stayed the whole six weeks. My niece Eliza had been our first junior counselor back when she was in high school, and now she was working on a doctorate in education as well as being my assistant director. It gave me a thrill when I compared the confident young woman she had become to the sweet girl who I had worried was suffering from OCD.

This had turned into a family project, so while Kevin kept the home fires burning in PA, Beth conducted age-appropriate makeovers, my mom taught weaving classes, my dad had a photography studio on-site, and my nephew Billy, who was now an accountant, kept our books in order. Darren's mother, Cerina, helped in the office while the camp was in session, and Charles, his father, had been an indispensable fund-raiser. Amazingly, when Grandma Criss had passed away between our first and second summers, we found out that she had established an endowment for the camp that allowed us to attract the exceptionally qualified staff that made our efforts so successful.

Guest experts visited to share their particular skills, and no one we knew was safe from an invitation. Chris managed our writing workshops, and had lured in many fabulous kids' authors over the years with his connections in the publishing industry. Darren took a hiatus from his label each summer to coordinate our music classes, and of course, he sweetly strong-armed his friends and colleagues, including his brother Chuck, to help. Lea had participated every summer since we had started as a one-week experiment, and the four of them organized end-of-session concerts interspersing professional musicians with campers sharing their blossoming performance skills.

The camp was open to kids going into fifth and sixth grades, as I had determined early on that the middle school transition was huge for all kids, but especially for gifted kids. A large percentage of them had spent their childhoods so focused - either by themselves or by their families - on acquiring knowledge that they really didn't have the social skills to survive and thrive once they moved into an environment requiring more independence.

The foundation of the camp, though, was not traditional education. My half-kidding motto was, "We don't teach anyone anything," meaning that this was not school which equaled pressure and guilt for these kids. This was a chance to explore the interests they didn't have time for during the rest of the year in a safe and relaxing environment. Our watchword was fun, but we also conducted sessions on social skills and etiquette, similar to the ones that I had organized back at my first teaching job.

In order to guarantee an ongoing learning process, we sent them home at the end of each week-long session with ideas for practicing socializing with other people. Harry, my computer geek, maintained a website that allowed them to continue interacting with each other and our staff, and we often heard from kids for years after they were officially one of Mrs. D's kids.

Back when we were in the planning stages, I had everything figured out down to what we would serve for lunch, but was at a loss as to where we would build the camp. During one of our weekly phone calls, I mentioned this to Rita, my former neighbor and honorary grandma to Harry and Van, and she burst out laughing.

"Oh, Rhi...I know just the place. Are you doing anything this weekend?"

Jeff drove them up to Oakland a few days later, and Rita directed us to a beautiful piece of land about an hour from our house, surrounded by tranquil woods and dotted by patches of wildflowers, all centered on a sparkling lake. We stood in awe at the majestic natural scene spread before us.

"Rita...this is...amazing. I didn't see a sign. Is this a state park?" I asked.

"No, honey, it's your camp."

Darren, Jeff and I just stared at her while the two men each carried one of our boys. My husband was the first to regain his voice. "What...what do you mean, Rita?"

"When my second husband - and my favorite, truth be told - passed away, he left me this property, and I could never think of anything to do with it but couldn't bear to part with it, so now I'm giving it to you. Don't you think it would be perfect? You could set up a dock so the kids can swim, and you could scatter the cabins over there at the edge of the trees in the shade, and there's plenty of room to expand, and..."

I walked over to stand directly in front of the second woman who had adopted me as her granddaughter and said, "Rita? Are you sure?"

She answered me with a teary smile, "Rhiannon, I wish I could have met Mrs. Donovan in person, but I feel like I know her. I can't imagine that it's a coincidence that you ended up living next door to me, can you?"

I shook my head with a lump in my throat, and hugged this sweet lady who was providing the final piece of the puzzle.

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We were all dozing on the couch, Harry and Van curling their growing bodies - apparently they had both inherited my dad's height gene - into Darren and me, when a tiny squeak roused me from my reminiscing. It sounded like a...no...it couldn't be...

I closed my eyes again, and then Van asked, "Mom? Did you hear that?"

By then all four of us were fully awake. As a group we went to the door of the cabin and peered out. Sitting on the stoop was a white and black kitten meowing and staring back at us with an expression that clearly said, "Aren't you going to let me in?"

Harry did and she sauntered by us to sit near my desk. She looked the whole family over from head to toe, and then slowly approached Darren who crouched down to let her sniff his hand. My husband grinned at me as he scratched her head, and I said, "You must have done this before," with a matching smile.

He nodded, not looking away from the kitten, and replied, "Kids and animals, Rhi."

Harry started, "Mom? Can we..."

"Keep her? You bet, honey."


	5. Surprise!

Chapter 5: Surprise!

"Mom, do you know when Dad will be home? We were supposed to work on my homework tonight. It's due day after tomorrow," Van said as he came into the kitchen while I was cleaning up the dinner dishes.

"Oh, honey, I don't, and I think he didn't either. He's going to a club to see some musicians," I responded. Van was doing well since starting high school the month before, but he liked to have his dad look over his music theory assignments before turning them in.

An odd expression passed over my younger son's face. "I thought he said he was meeting Uncle Chuck for dinner in San Francisco...maybe I misheard him. I'll call Aunt Lea to see if she can help," he added as he headed back to his room.

I nodded distractedly as I began to wonder once again what was going on with Darren. He had hardly been home in the evenings in the last few weeks, and this was the third time - that I knew about - that he had told one of us that he would be late for one reason, but had given another one to someone else. I shook my head to clear it of the worry that had started to creep in. He was just busy and had lost track of his schedule...that's all...

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Laying wide awake in the dark much later, unable to push away the nagging thoughts from earlier, I heard my husband climbing the stairs after greeting Winnie, our darling cat who had settled in nicely after we brought her home from camp several years before.

Being extra quiet so as not to disturb me, Darren crossed to our dresser for pajamas, and then crawled into bed. I rolled over to hug him, and we snuggled together as we had thousands of times.

"Dare?" I started, not sure what I was going to say.

"Honey, I'm so sorry I missed dinner again. It's just been so crazy lately at the office. I signed two new artists almost simultaneously, and they're both young, so I'm having to lead them by the hand..." He leaned over to kiss me softly.

"That's okay, Dare. Van thought you said you were going out with Chuck near their place, and I thought you told me you were going out to see some new artists, so I was confused...and a little concerned, honestly. That's not the first time that you've told us two different places that you would be recently, and...we haven't seen you a lot lately, and...well, you know me...I always imagine the worst," I finished with a nervous chuckle.

Darren explained with a smile, "I actually did both tonight, Rhi. We were looking at a singer/songwriter that Chuck found, so we went over to San Francisco to watch her perform in a club. I'm sorry to worry you. I know I haven't been around much, but I've finally decided to sign her, and assigned these new artists to other members of the team, so things should calm down." Then he matched his lips to mine for an intense kiss and asked, "Is it too late for some therapy, Mrs. Criss? We haven't made much time for that recently..."

As my husband moved his lips down my neck to the spot on my collar bone that made me go weak from pleasure, I panted, "It's never too late, Mr. Criss."

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The following morning all four members of the Criss family were smiling and cheerful. Van had completed his homework with Lea's help, Harry had put the finishing touches on his entry for the robot-building competition we would be attending that weekend, and Darren and I were still reveling in the afterglow of our lovemaking. It had been too long and before we fell asleep in each others' arms, we had discussed how our relationship needed ongoing care just like our kids and our careers.

I double-checked that the boys had lunch money before Harry grabbed his keys to drive them both to school, and when I turned back to the kitchen I found Darren waiting to give me a fierce good-bye kiss before he headed out for the day.

Starting the dishwasher before goiing up to our office, a buzzing on the counter caught my attention. Oh, no...Darren had forgotten his phone. I grabbed it and ran to the driveway, but he was already out of sight. Hmmm...I could call him at work...or, wait!

Why didn't I take him to lunch? Hadn't we just talked about how we needed to work harder to keep our marriage fresh and our connection strong? I ran up the stairs to get changed for my surprise date with my husband.

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I smiled at Darren's receptionist, Caroline, as I walked into the building that held CallaCriss Studios.

"Hi, Rhi! Darren's in his office...go on in," she said cheerfully.

Thanking her, I knocked lightly before pushing his office door open. "Surprise, honey! I brought your phone and I thought I could kidnap you for a long lun..."

I was stunned into speechlessness by the sight before me. Darren was half-laying over his desk with his hands in the air like he was being robbed, and a...girl - maybe in her mid-20s - was KISSING HIM! OH! MY! GOD!

My arrival startled them both into turning toward me, the girl shooting me a look of satisfaction, while my husband was wearing an expression of...shock...and fear?

Advancing into the room, I said, using my best teacher-scolding-a-student-who-knew-better voice, "Get your hands - and your lips - off my husband."

The girl, who I then noticed looked strangely like a younger version of me - heavy, short brown hair, very light skin - stood up and replied, "Obviously you're not giving him what he needs, so why shouldn't I?"

"I don't know what asylum you escaped from, DEAR, but we give each other exactly what we need, so I'm only going to tell you one...more...time." I took a deep breath and shouted, "GET AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND, BITCH!"

Realizing that I wasn't buying her claim that Darren wanted what she had to offer, the girl looked at him, then at me, and stomped out of the building, nearly knocking over Caroline, who had rushed to the office doorway when she heard me yelling.

I followed the girl to make sure she left, starting to tell Caroline, "Do not ever..."

"Don't worry, Rhi. She will be banned from the premises."

Smiling my thanks, I closed the office door and locked it before turning around to look at Darren.

He was breathing hard, and still looked afraid, but I wasn't sure of what. Then he started to babble. "You were...so hot, Rhi! Oh my god! Did I say that out loud? I'm so sorry...I swear I don't know what happened...she came into my office through the studio...and she just started rambling about how she would be so much better for me than you...and she knew that she was my type...and..."

I reached out to stroke my husband's cheek. "Dare, I know...it's okay...was that the girl you went to see with Chuck last night?"

My husband nodded slowly, replying with an ironic smile, "She obviously…misinterpreted my interest in her."

"Obviously. Please tell me you didn't sign her yet."

Gathering me in his arms, he shook his head and answered, "And I never will, Rhi. She could be the next...Adele, and I will still never have another thing to do with her." He paused before continuing uncertainly, "Thank you for believing me. With me not being around much lately...I realize those things we talked about last night make it look like I've been having an...affair, and then you find...what you found..."

"Honey..." I started, "...first of all, it was quite apparent that she was the instigator. You looked like you were paralyzed."

I gently touched my lips to Darren's, hoping that the difference between my kisses and hers would help calm him.

"Secondly," I continued, "I know that you would never cheat on me...on us...on our family. Remember that fight we had way back when about your shoes?"

Nodding his head, Darren blushed with embarrassment.

"You and I both know that neither of us would do anything that would break us up." I paused for a moment, leaning into my husband for our mutual comfort. "Honey, can I suggest something?"

"Anything, Rhiannon," he answered with a grin in his voice.

"Let's go home right now. I could really use some more 'therapy' and I bet you could too."

"More than you could possibly imagine, Mrs. Criss. I have a suggestion as well. Let's schedule a weekly mid-day session from now on."

I nodded against his chest, and then we joined hands, unlocked his door, said good-bye to Caroline, and headed home.


	6. Giving Thanks

Chapter 6: Giving Thanks

About two months later on the Friday after Thanksgiving, I was passing by Harry's room on the way to ours. I paused when I thought I heard the boys arguing, and rather heatedly. Knocking lightly, I poked my head in. "Boys? Everything okay?"

Obviously it wasn't, despite the fact that Van nodded stiffly while Harry stared daggers at him.

"Okay, who wants to tell me what's going on?"

Van's expression had turned to desperation, as he silently pleaded with Harry to not say anything regarding whatever they had been fighting about. His older brother gave him one last glare, and stomped out of the room.

"Van?" I said gently, sitting beside him on the bed and putting my arm around him. "Are you two...not getting along?"

My younger son was holding back tears, insisting quietly, "We are! We are!" but I didn't believe him. I had thought we had put these...problems between the boys behind us, but maybe now that they were both attending the same school...

"You know you can tell me or Dad anything, right, honey?"

Van nodded again, then asked, "Can I go to my room, Mom? I need to...work on stuff for school."

"Sure, sweetie," I replied, kissing his forehead before letting him go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I found Harry in the kitchen, making a sandwich. He looked at me with a fierce expression, then went back to preparing the food I was sure he didn't want.

"Harry? What's going on? Did you and Van have a fight?" My older son continued to ignore me, so I put my hands on his, forcing him to stop working on his snack.

"Harry...please look at me...are you and Van having...trouble being at the same school?"

Harry snorted before responding. "Mom, I love you, and you are beyond smart, but sometimes you can be so dense."

"Then help me out, Harry. Tell me what's going on."

"I...can't, Mom...I promised Van that I wouldn't." His anger was now turning to uncertainty. "If I had known it would get so bad...but...it's still not my place..."

Then my six-foot tall high school senior shocked me when he started to weep.

I immediately pulled him into my arms like he was a little boy, crooning that everything would be okay. "No!" he burst out. "No, it won't!"

"Come sit with me, sweetie. Let's talk about...whatever this is." I turned around to lead Harry into the living room, only to find Van standing in the doorway, tears running down his cheeks as well.

I guided both of my sons to the couch, where we all cuddled together, crying.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Darren arrived home about an hour later, he called out, "Winnie! Van! Harry! Rhi! I'm..." He stopped abruptly when he realized that we were all sitting right in front of him, talking quietly.

Taking in our tear-stained cheeks and clasped hands, he joined us. I leaned over to give him a quick kiss, and said, "Dare, Van has been having some...problems at school, and Harry has been helping him, but it's become too much for them and they need our assistance."

Darren leaned in to give both boys a long hug, and said, "You know that you can tell Mom and me anything. Someone start at the beginning so we can figure out what to do."

I nodded encouragingly at Van to proceed, since this was really his story to tell.

"Um...Dad...Harry has known this for a while...and Mom just found out today, but... um...I'm..."

Darren squeezed our younger son's hand and repeated, "Anything, honey."

Van nodded, gathering his courage. "I'm...um...gay," he whispered before burying his head in my neck.

Looking my husband square in the eye, I gave him a small smile to help him over the initial shock. We had always known that our younger son was sensitive and introspective, but hadn't given his sexuality much thought. We had given both boys "the Talk" when they started middle school, explaining the logistics and safety issues, as well as discussing the emotions involved. As we had encouraged them to, Harry and Van had asked follow-up questions over the years, but since Van was only a freshman, we had figured romantic interests were still theoretical for him.

"Van, sweetie, please look at me," Darren said gently.

Van shook his head, mumbling into my shoulder, "You're disappointed...won't love me anymore."

Firmly, I said, "Donovan Arthur, look at me." He slowly lifted his head until I was looking into my own eyes. "If Dad or Harry or I told you something like this, would you be disappointed? Would you stop loving us?"

"Never," he whispered, shaking his head emphatically.

"Then why would you expect any less from us?"

"I'm sorry...so sorry...for everything..." Van choked out.

Darren gently turned Van's chin toward him. "Van, I admit I'm surprised, mainly because I hadn't really considered you being interested in anyone, no matter their gender. But you never have to worry about Mom or me or Harry not loving you, and you have nothing to apologize for."

Van nodded, and Darren continued. "Sweetie, this is just a part of you, like the part that writes music, and the part that reads Harry Potter and Hunger Games over and over, and the part that plays Halo with Harry and me, and the part that cooks with Mom, and the part that swims like a fish - all of the parts that make you YOU. None of that is going to change, and knowing this is certainly not going to change how we feel about you, or your place in our family."

I felt our younger son's body relax briefly, and my heart was bursting with love for my husband. Hopefully his profound response would put Van's fear of abandonment to rest, but I knew that we were nowhere near the end of this.

I turned to Harry. "Can you explain what's been going on at school?" I looked at Darren. "We hadn't gotten to this part yet before you came in."

"Well," Harry started. "Van was...asking me some questions after camp this past summer...about how he would know if he...liked someone...and...other stuff. From what he was asking, I suspected..." our older son reached over to squeeze his brother's hand in support, making me so proud. "So, I asked him, because I thought I could help. I promised that I wouldn't tell, and he admitted it. I explained to him about the...issues that he was going to have at school if people found out."

"What...issues?" I asked.

"Mom...Dad...as much as people talk a good game, things haven't improved all that much when it comes to bullying. Especially, with something...important, like this. I begged Van to tell you guys, but he was convinced that...you know...so he wouldn't, and I had already promised that I would keep his secret."

"What's happened, Van?" Darren asked warily.

Van shook his head as if he was unable to speak.

"Harry?"

"I don't know all of it, Dad, but I know that he told Ben and...somehow it got out after that..."

"His friend Ben?" I asked in disbelief.

Harry nodded, "He's not anymore, Mom."

"People have said things to Van, and pushed him, and tripped him, and... I had almost decided to tell you myself no matter what I had promised, but I tried to convince Van one last time that he should. That's what we were arguing about upstairs, Mom. I tried so hard, really I did, to protect him, but I can't be with him all the time, and...I'm so sorry...I tried, I really did..." Harry broke down into gut-wrenching sobs, causing Van to start crying again as well.

Darren and I stared into each others' eyes in disbelief and I know that we were thinking the same thing. How had we missed this?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That night Darren and I were wrapped together in a cocoon of blankets so we could be as close as possible. The calls to our parents to prepare them were nerve-wracking to make, but turned out to be just the comfort we needed for ourselves. All four grandparents assured us that they would help however we needed them to, be it emotionally, financially or any other way. In the morning we would start on the plans we had formulated after consulting with Jeff and Chris and their husbands, but for now, our boys were sleeping deeply due to their emotional exhaustion. Hopefully, sleeping peacefully wouldn't be too far in the future.

"Rhiannon, I'm so sorry."

"For what, Dare?"

"I feel like I should have known...somehow...what Van...and Harry...were going through..." he inhaled shakily. We were both still on the edge of tears over the torment that both our boys had suffered.

"Why, Dare? I didn't know either. If we're going to blame you, then we'll have to blame me too. And, the boys have been blaming themselves for enough that they had no responsibility for already. Van is clever...and circumspect. We might not have found out for years if he hadn't asked Harry those questions. I wonder if he did that because subconsciously he wanted us to know."

"Maybe...I know you're right, Rhi, but I still feel so guilty."

"I do too, Dare, and I think we always will, but we should also be thankful. Thankful that Van went to Harry for help when he thought he couldn't come to us. Thankful that we've got a family that will support all of us, but especially Van, as we come to terms with this. Thankful that Van has strong role models in Jeff and Colin and Chris and Julian when he has questions about his sexuality that we can't answer. Thankful that he has those two committed couples to look to as examples of the happiness he will find some day. Thankful that we've got the resources to send the boys to a school where they can be safe and happy, if it comes to that." I leaned in to give Darren a soothing kiss, hoping I put his mind at ease, at least a little.

"Rhiannon, I love everything about you, but one of the things I love most is how you know when I need a swift kick or a pep talk...or both."

I matched my lips to my husband's, soliciting access to his mouth with my tongue, wanting to take our minds off this whole situation - until the next day, anyway. When we broke apart, both of us panting, I breathed, "We've always done that for each other, honey. And we'll keep doing it...forever." Then, Darren shifted so he was on top of me, and we did forget - for the rest of the night.


	7. Home for the Holidays, Version 2 point 0

Chapter 7: Home for the Holidays – Version 2.0

"Winnie! Rhi! I'm home!" Darren called as he crossed our threshold. He came straight into the kitchen where I was working on Christmas cookies, since I had sent him on an emergency run for the Hershey's kisses I had forgotten.

My husband leaned in to give me a real kiss and handed me the grocery bag. "Boys home yet?"

"Nope, but Harry said he would be here before dinner, and the Allens should be dropping Van off any..." I was cut off by a horn honking in our driveway. "...minute," I finished with a smile.

Van called, "Winnie! Dad! Mom! I'm home!" Darren and I hurried to the living room to welcome our younger - and slightly taller - son home for the holidays. Van loved that he had ended up a half inch taller than his brother's 6' 2".

After exchanging hugs, I herded my guys to the kitchen so I could finish baking while we caught up on Van's news. Even though he was only 15 minutes away at the Bentley High Boarding School halfway through his senior year, he hadn't been home for a weekend since Thanksgiving. He assured us that it was because he had a group project to work on, which was undoubtedly true, but we knew that it was easier for him to spend time with his boyfriend if they both stayed there.

"So, Van, how's the 'project'?" Darren asked with a wry grin. Van smiled back sheepishly, replying, "Done, thank goodness...you were right, Dad, when you told us to let the music lead us where it should be, instead of us forcing it where we wanted it to go. Patrick sends greetings and salutations," he added while snitching some cookie dough.

I slapped his fingers and ordered playfully, "Hands off, Mister! Are the Allens still okay with Patrick staying over for New Year's?"

Van's smiled broadened, "Yep. They're going to drop him off on the 30th, so you can take us both back to school on the 2nd. Thanks so much for letting him stay, really...it means a lot to us that you...trust us...and want him here," he finished, smiling shyly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Needless to say, we had all come a long way since...that heart-breaking day three years before. Our immediate priorities were to insure Van's safety and remove the need for Harry to be his bodyguard. After some intense discussions, we decided - at his insistence - that Harry would finish his senior year at the public school both he and Van had been attending. Although he said it was because it wasn't worth the trouble to find somewhere else for only six months when he'd already been accepted early admission into Stanford's IT department, Darren and I concluded that our oldest son was trying to make it easier for us - emotionally and financially - to do what we had concluded was necessary for Van, moving him to a private school.

Jeff recommended Bentley, based both on its reputation and his having attended graduate school with the director, who he assured us had dealt with situations like ours before. Van's grades and talents made it easy for them to expedite his admittance, and he was a student there within two weeks of our discovery of the abuse he had been subjected to.

It took several months, but Van gradually started to heal - and then thrive - in the caring environment provided by Bentley. The school had a zero tolerance policy against bullying, and as Van came to see that he didn't need to physically - and emotionally - protect himself, he started to open up to the other kids, and eventually he found a circle of close friends.

We also took Chris and Jeff up on their generous offers, and provided more opportunities for both boys to interact with their honorary uncles so they could discuss their situations with someone who really understood. Even though Harry and Van denied feeling any negativity toward Darren and myself for our obliviousness, our family therapist agreed that this was an excellent outlet for them to vent to understanding adults who weren't their parents or were being paid to listen.

By the beginning of his junior year, Van was a confident young man comfortable enough with himself to have casually dated a few boys he met at Bentley or through his friends from there. He explained to Darren and me that while they were all perfectly nice and he enjoyed spending time with them, there wasn't any spark. Then, Patrick transferred in.

Based on the amount of time Van spent talking about him if nothing else, Darren and I knew that Patrick was going to be someone special. Although they were only in high school, they had such a strong and immediate connection that we wondered if perhaps he was "the one" for Van. We had a second version of "the Talk" after they started dating, making sure our younger son understood that not only should he insist on being treated with respect, he should always do the same for this sweet and energetic boy that he cared for so much.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Van reached into the bowl of dough again, a flash on his finger caught my eye...the ring finger of his left hand...

I grabbed his hand, pulling it toward me, and asked in a shocked voice, "Donovan Arthur...what is...this?" I pushed his hand toward Darren, indicating the silver ring gleaming in the sunlight.

A huge smile spread across Van's face. "Mom...Dad...you know that Patrick and I have been...in love since last Christmas...so now...we're...promised...to be engaged...some day..."

Darren and I stared at the ring, then at each other, then at Van.

"I know...I know...I should have said something before...I've only had mine for a couple of weeks...we're still getting Patrick's sized...he has the skinniest fingers..."

"Van..." I said in a vaguely warning tone.

"Oh, sorry...distracted myself..." he smiled at Darren.

"We know that we're young, and we have a lot of things to accomplish before we get married, but we also know that we're it for each other." Van paused, then begged with tears in his eyes, "Please be happy for us..."

Moving around the counter, Darren and I wrapped our arms around our son. His father said, "Van...we couldn't be more thrilled. All that Mom and I have ever wanted for you and Harry is happiness. If Patrick makes you that happy, then we're happy too."

Just then Harry, who we hadn't heard come in, appeared in the kitchen doorway and asked with a smile, "So, Van Man, I guess I don't have do ask what they said, do I?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dinner that night was a raucous one, because not only did we have to get all the details on Van's new status, but Harry had an announcement as well. We had been expecting it since our older son had asked if he could have Great-Grandma's Criss' engagement ring to propose to his long-time girlfriend.

Melissa had beaten him to the punch, though, after tiring of our planner's insisting that they wait for just the right moment. Despite Darren's having shared the story of how we had spontaneously exchanged promise rings over tepid pizza on his old couch, Harry wasn't having it. And Melissa wan't having that - I liked this girl! She had gotten him a ring as well, and just the week before, impulsively asked our older son to marry her in the computer lab where they were working on a project for one of the many classes they had together.

No surprise, Harry was already planning the wedding they had tentatively scheduled for the following Christmas at Mrs. D's Place, so he asked Van to be his best man over dessert. Our boys' close relationship still brought tears to my eyes. Van would be attending UC-Berkley for music composition by then, so he would be close enough to be involved in all of the nuptial preparations and festivities.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Our sons had shooed Darren and I into the living room while they did the dishes, so we were cuddled on the couch, with Winnie purring on my lap, enjoying the sound of our sons laughing together.

"Rhiannon..." Dare started as he rubbed his fingers over mine.

I smiled at him expectantly.

"Our boys are both in happy, committed relationships, on their way to fulfilling careers. You and I are successful at what we always wanted to do. After all these years, we are...happier together than we've ever been..."

He gave me a chaste but lingering kiss.

"Did you ever think we'd get this far, back at the book store?" he asked with a bemused smile.

"Dare, I thought I'd still be WORKING at the book store," I declared, making him laugh out loud.

That brought Harry and Van into the living room, where we spent the rest of the evening talking about anything and everything, ranging from silly to serious to sublime - as a family.


	8. Initially

Chapter 8: Initially

"Mom! MOM!" Harry yelled into the phone before I could even say anything...I looked at the clock...3:37 AM!

"Harry! Take a deep breath! Sweetie, you have to calm down so you can tell me what's going on!"

"Sorry, Mom," our older son panted. Then he started to babble. "We're at the hospital Melissa went into labor about 45 minutes ago she wanted to wait until it got 'serious' since that's what we planned but thank goodness I just put her in the car because they said it won't be long and I..."

"HARRY! STOP TALKING!" I shouted into the phone to get his attention. By this time, Darren was awake and getting out our clothes. "Did you call Melissa's folks? They're on the way from LA? Good. We'll call Van and Patrick and the grandmas and grandpas...we'll meet you there as soon as we can. Go, sweetie, and give Melissa a kiss for us."

"Thanks, Mom...I don't know what I'm doing...all our plans are ruined..."

"Get used to it, honey. We love you," I said with a grin, and hung up as Darren leaned down to give me a kiss. "Good morning, GRANDMA!"

"Dare, did you get that? Can you start the phone calls while I..." I trailed off when Darren's last word penetrated my conscious.

Chuckling, my husband pulled me out of bed and guided me into the bathroom. "I know, Rhiannon. You just didn't..." he started.

"...think that far," I finished as the shock started to wear off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Van and Patrick had beaten us to the hospital, so they were already in the waiting room, holding hands and talking quietly. When they saw us approaching, both our son and son-in-law rose to hug us.

"How are you guys doing?" Patrick asked with a cheery smile, too cheery for this hour of the morning.

"Oh, I almost gave Rhi a heart attack when I called her Grandma," Darren told them with a teasing grin.

Van chuckled, wrapping his arms around Patrick, and responded, "We've been calling each other Uncle Van and Uncle Patrick for a few days so we would be prepared."

Van's eyes widened as he looked behind me. We all turned to see Harry coming down the hall with a lop-sided grin on his face. At first he just stood and stared at us, and then, as tears of joy streamed down his face, he said, "It's a girl. Nine pounds, six ounces. Twenty-one inches. Ten fingers, ten toes. She's...perfect," he finished in a whisper.

"Oh, Harry..." I exclaimed as we all crowded into a group hug. "How is Melissa?"

"She's good, Mom. Really good...probably won't be up for visitors for a while, but they should have the baby cleaned up and in the nursery in about a half hour if you want to see her."

Darren kissed Harry's cheek, and said, "How about if we take a quick peek and then come back after lunch?"

"That would be perfect, Dad. Melissa's folks should be here by then, too...I just can't believe it...I'm a father. I just hope I can be as good a one as you..." our older son trailed off as he started crying in earnest.

Van, so supportive of his brother, immediately pulled him into a hug, whispering something in his ear. Harry looked him in the eye, and nodded, seeming to gather strength from whatever Van had told him. He started toward Melissa's room, but turned back to mouth, "Love you," to all of us. We all mouthed, "Love you more," watching proudly as our granddaughter's father headed into this new phase of his life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We gathered around the nursery window waiting for the staff to bring in the newest Criss. Harry had told us everything but her name, so we were speculating about whether they had chosen any of the options that had been bandied about.

Patrick pointed as one of the nurses carried in a newborn with a pink cap - was that her? She laid the baby in one of the empty bassinets, and then turned to pull a card out of a file. Sliding the card into the slot on the end of the bassinet, she looked at us and mouthed, "Criss?" We all nodded like fools - even Patrick, since he had taken Van's last name when they had gotten married - so she smiled, indicating this was who we were looking for.

We all started raving about how beautiful she was and commenting on who she looked like, when Van sucked in his breath. Patrick turned to him with concern. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Her name...look at...her name..."

His husband squinted at the card, smiling while he read out loud, "Donna... Josephine...Criss. They named her after you, sweetie."

Van's eyes were filling with tears and he put his hand over his mouth, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe...why would they..."

Harry's voice came from behind us. "Because, Van Man...you are the bravest, kindest person we know and we wanted to give DJ a legacy of love right from the start."

"DJ?" Darren asked.

"Josephine is her mom's middle name, and Melissa likes initials," Harry explained with a smile. Then our boys hugged each other with such intensity that Darren and I couldn't hold back our tears any longer.

When they separated but were still holding hands, Van said, "Hopefully we'll be able to return the favor."

He grabbed Patrick's hand with his free one, as Darren, Harry, and I all looked at them with puzzled expressions.

"What does that..." Harry started.

"We didn't want to steal your thunder, but now..." Patrick began with a fond smile for his husband.

Van explained, "We started the surrogacy process last week. Hopefully by the end of next year, we'll have someone to name after you. Maybe more than one someone since the odds of multiple births are pretty high for artificial insemination."

My mouth fell open, and Darren wrapped his arm around me, whispering in my ear with a smile in his voice, "Welcome to the next generation, GRANDMA!"


	9. Epilogue: Something More

Epilogue: Something More

Darren was lingering over the entertainment section of the paper at our kitchen table in the sunny nook in the corner of the room. Our hands touched as I brought him a refill of his coffee, and I leaned down to give him a peck when he smiled his thanks up at me. His hair was more grey than dark now, but I still couldn't help running my fingers through his lovely curls.

Our kiss quickly turned heated and I was soon sitting in his lap as our tongues slid toward each other and we started to moan at an ever-increasing volume. Darren finally pulled away, leaving us both panting and staring into each others' eyes.

"Rhi? I think we don't have time..."

"I know, Dare, I know...but sometimes you are...too hard to resist." I lightly ran my fingers downward from his waist to where he was literally hard, making him suck in his breath.

"Rhiannon..." he said in a vaguely warning tone. "As much as I would love to take this to its natural conclusion, I've still got to get a haircut, then we need to get ready and over to the hotel. There are going to be about a hundred people waiting for us..."

I nodded with a look of disappointment, but moved to one of the other chairs, keeping hold of my husband's hand. "Dare, I need to talk to you about...something..."

He squeezed my hand, replying, "Anything, sweetie."

Nodding, I asked him uncertainly, "Do you really want to hand over the reins of CallaCriss to Van and Billy? Just because I'm stepping down in favor of Eliza at Mrs. D's doesn't mean you have to..."

Darren put his finger up to my lips. "Rhi, we've discussed this repeatedly. We're both ready to spend more uninterrupted time with each other and the munchkins. Just think...we can travel over the summer without working around the camp schedule, and, you won't have to wonder when I'm coming home because I'm scouting talent at some club until all hours. We're not walking away, we're giving the kids the chance to shine while we offer assistance from the sidelines."

"If you're sure, Dare...I need you to be sure..."

"Rhiannon, I've never been more sure of anything in my life...except you." Then my husband matched his lips to mine for a kiss full of promise for the future.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We walked hand-in-hand toward the Garden Ballroom at the Oakland Hilton, taking note of all the details that I was sure that Harry was responsible for. When we saw the large banner over the doorway announcing, "Happy 30th Anniversary, Darren and Rhi!" Darren whispered, "Why do I get top billing?" I replied quietly, "Alphabetical order, honey."

The tables were decorated with centerpieces made of yellow calla lilies and yellow roses tinged with red, just like my bridal bouquet. All the place cards were done in shades of russet and cognac, the autumn colors that we had borrowed from Glee for our wedding.

We were admiring the cake when we heard a high-pitched voice approaching us quickly from down the hall, "Grandma Rhi! Grandpa D!" Darren turned just in time to hoist five-year-old DJ into the air so he could twirl her around. When she had settled in his arms, he whispered in her ear, "Gonna be too big for this soon, Little Girl!" to which she replied with enthusiastic head-shaking, "Never!"

Harry and Melissa were following at a more sedate pace, with Van and Patrick carrying their own twins - it had taken longer than expected for the surrogacy process to go through, but their gorgeous boy and girl had joined the Criss clan about two years before. Our daughter-in-law was pregnant again, and DJ couldn't wait for her new sibling, since her cousins Harriet and Allen were now past the baby stage.

"Mom! Dad!" Harry exclaimed with a huge smile. He turned to the rest of the adults, "Told you they'd get here before us...good thing I arranged for everything to be set up extra early, hunh?"

"Don't rub it in, Harris," Melissa scolded her husband, leaning over to give Darren and me each a peck as DJ squirmed to get down. "It must be such a burden to ALWAYS be right," she added with a smile.

Harry hugged us, agreeing, "It really is, honey."

Van and Patrick chuckled at the familiar interplay between the other couple while they each gave us a hug, and a grandchild.

"Ready for the big event?" Patrick asked excitedly.

"As ready as she'll ever be," Darren replied with a wink, and we all laughed.

Just then we heard snatches of conversation out in the hall...the guests were starting to arrive.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Darren and I hadn't made it any farther than the couch in the presidential suite that the kids had reserved for us so we didn't have to worry about driving home until the next day. We were snuggled as close as we could be with our legs intertwined, holding each others' hands.

"Rhi? Are you awake enough to answer a question?"

"Barely, sweetie."

"Tell me the truth. Did you have a good time tonight?"

After a moment's thought, I nodded slightly, and said, "I really did, Dare. It's not an experience I'm anxious to repeat any time soon, but it was nice to see everyone."

"What was your favorite part, Rhiannon?"

I pushed myself up and smirked at my husband, asking "Are you fishing for compliments, Mr. Criss?" I pressed my lips to his before answering...

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The kids had scheduled a cocktail hour followed by a dinner served by the wait staff, so we had plenty of time to visit with all of our friends and family. Before the cake was served, Van and Harry made a speech, which I thought was going to bring me to my knees. Little did I know what was coming next…

Harry started. "Mom, Dad...Van and I cannot thank you enough for the support and love that you have given us over the years. You've put up with so much, and handled everything with grace and dignity..."

"Like when Harry HAD to wear the RED sneakers to kindergarten," Van inserted.

His older brother mock-glared at him as a chuckle rippled through the room.

"Seriously," Van continued, "our family has experienced a lot of joy, but we've also come up against some tough things. You were always patient and wise and kind, no matter the circumstances."

Darren squeezed my hand, took two tissues from his pocket, handing me one and using the other himself as the tears began to run down our cheeks.

Harry went on, "Then you welcomed our significant others into the family with open arms..." Patrick and Melissa each blew us a kiss. "And then you became two of the six best grandparents that DJ, Harriet, and Allen could ever have."

Both of our sons were now fighting back tears as well. "Everyone here wants to thank you for the legacies that you've left for all of us and tell you that we love you more than words can say," Van finished.

Darren leaned over to give me an intense kiss as everyone stood and applauded. Then he stood up as well, and started toward the stage. I didn't let go of his hand, asking, "Where are you going?" He replied with a grin, "There's one more thing on the program, sweetie."

My mouth fell open as he mounted the stairs to the stage, wrapping his arms around Harry and then Van, whispering something to each of them. Nodding, they came back to our table and hugged me while Darren spoke to the bandleader.

Turning back to the crowd, he began with his adorable grin, "Rhi doesn't know what's about to happen, and we all know how much she LOVES surprises..." Another rumble of laughter ran through the group as I shook my head at him.

Then my husband proceeded to blow me away. "Just over thirty years ago, I was a young actor on a hit TV show, and I walked into a book store in Wisconsin. I had no idea that one action would shatter my life plans - for the better."

Now looking directly at me, he continued, "Rhiannon, we've discussed this over the years, but I am so grateful for whatever stars aligned to make that happen. I probably should have been insulted, but even though you didn't recognize me at first..." Another laugh spread across the room.

"Our connection was immediate and intense. Thankfully we both realized that, although our relationship started in an...unorthodox way, it was the most important thing that would happen to either of us."

"We have shared so much, including our love, over the years, and learned so many important things along the way...Rhiannon Abigail Harris Criss, you are my best friend, my one true love, and my forever."

Nodding and smiling through the tears that were falling too fast for Van and Harry to wipe away, I mouthed, "I love you so much," to this unbelievable man. He mouthed back, "I love you more," and just when I thought I couldn't take any more, Darren signalled to the bandleader, who started counting a beat.

"This is for you, Rhiannon. This song has meant a lot to us for a LONG time, but I've never actually sung it to YOU."

I recognized the opening strains of "Something's Coming" from "West Side Story," and leaned my head on Harry's shoulder while clasping Van's hand as my talented, moderately messy, handsome, occasionally extravagant, funny, easily-distracted, smart, thoughtful husband started to sing...

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Darren's humming brought me back to the present.

"Weren't expecting that, were you, Rhi?" he asked with a smile in his voice.

"You could always surprise me without upsetting me - too much - Mr. Criss," I replied.

He kissed my fingers, declaring, "One of my many talents, Mrs. Criss. Speaking of talents, is it too late for some therapy?"

"Dare..." I started, "you know it's never too late," and I held Darren's head between my hands for a passionate kiss that was the beginning of...something more.

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Okay, dear readers, I'm not going to foolishly claim (again) that this really is THE END. For now, this seems to be all that I need to write about them - as much as the Harris/Criss clan has come to mean to me, I think they are ready to let go. But, who knows? In another six months they might be nagging at me to figure out what happens next. ;)

Thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with me through these two trilogies, and two more big hugs to MK and OL. You're the only two who know, and the only two I want to know.


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